THE GAME - Sun Devil Football is back on the road this weekend for another weeknight tilt, squaring off against #15/17 California. The contest will get underway at 7:30 p.m. AZT on Friday, Sept. 27 at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN while also being covered over the airwaves locally on ESPN Phoenix 620 AM.
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THE OPPONENT - The Sun Devils will be facing a ranked California squad for the first time since 2007, when #7 ASU knocked off the #18 Bears, 31-20, in Tempe. Cal enters the weekend at the top of the Pac-12 North standings with a 4-0 record and a #15/17 ranking in tow. ASU will be looking to improve upon two decades of struggles in games played at Cal in Berkeley, where it has won just one game since 1999 (in 2012).
Sun Devil head coach Herm Edwards is making the return to his alma mater, where he played from 1972 and 1974. Offensive coordinator Rob Likens spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons at Cal under Sonny Dykes, serving a variety of coaching and coordinator roles.
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KICKING OFF
-C Cohl Cabral and CB Kobe Williams have started 30 consecutive games for the Sun Devils, starting every contest since the beginning of the 2017 season.
-Eno Benjamin became the 20th Sun Devil in program history to reach 2,000 rushing yards with his effort against Colorado. The junior has 2,076 rushing yards in his career and became one of just five three-year players to find themselves on the list (Mario Bates, Ben Malone, Art Malone and Woody Green).
-Benjamin has recorded a touchdown in six consecutive games.
-The Sun Devils have scored double-digit points in 123 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the FBS and the second-longest streak in the modern era of football behind only Louisiana Tech (2008-18).
-Brandon Aiyuk has at least one catch of over 40 yards in each of the four games this season.
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Thanks @ASU Thrive for highlighting Eno and the great things this young man is doing! https://t.co/fvWlaTjc7Z pic.twitter.com/8G8qagMRD7
— Sun Devil Club (@sundevilclub) September 25, 2019
AN ASU VICTORY WOULD...
Improve the Sun Devils to 4-1 to start the season for the first time since 2016 and just the 10th time in the last 32 years
Be only the second victory over Cal in a game played in Berkeley since 1999 (2012 being the other).
Be the first time ASU has defeated a ranked Cal team in Berkeley (0-3 with losses in 2006, 2004 and 1991).
Move ASU within 17-18 in the all-time series record against the Bears and 6-10 in road games.
Be the second victory over a ranked team this season and fourth in two seasons under Herm Edwards, improving ASU to 4-3 against AP-ranked opponents in that time.
Mark just the second time in history that ASU won two straight road games against ranked opponents, joining the 1986 campaign (Oct. 4 at #15 UCLA and Oct. 18 at #15 USC). The Devils played an unranked Oregon team in Eugene in between those games.
Be just the third time in history ASU has won two road games, period, against ranked teams in one season (1986 and 1997).
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MILESTONE COUNTDOWNS
3 consecutive games with 10+ points needed for ASU to set the FBS modern record record for most consecutive games scoring in double digits (currently at 123 games, trailing only Louisiana Tech's streak of 125 games from 2008-2018).
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#10THINGS (Twitter-Friendly Notes)
1. The Sun Devils are looking to post consecutive road wins against ranked opponents on the road for just the second time in program history (1986 vs. UCLA and USC).
2. The Sun Devils have forced a turnover in 10 consecutive games and have yet to allow a point of one of their own turnovers thus far. m
3. .@eno_benjamin5 has played 118 snaps in passing routes this season, the 2nd-highest total among FBS running backs. His 137 receiving yards are 11th among FBS running backs.
4. Kobe Williams (@yaboiijuicee) has allowed just 40 yards in coverage this season, the sixth-lowest total in the FBS, while only being targetted 13 times - 19th-fewest among FBS corners.
5. Arizona State holds the FBS active streak for consecutive games scoring more than 10 points, currently doing so in 123 straight games - just three shy of setting the FBS modern era record.
6. When facing pressure this season, @JayD__5 has posted the 16th-highest NFL QB rating of any quarterback in the FBS (2nd in the Pac-12) at 113.8.
7. Brandon Aiyuk (@The2Era) leads the nation in yards after catch this season with 300 yards while his nine missed tackles forced are good for third among FBS receivers.
8. ASU has allowed just five plays over 30 yards this season, a total tied for 34th nationally. The Sun Devils are one of just 22 teams nationally to not give up a 50-yard play on the year.
9. .@TheEvanFields4 has forced 10 defensive "stops" this season, a tally that leads Pac-12 safeties and is seventh among safeties playing in a Power Five conference
10. Frank Darby (@_SavageSZN8) now has 37 total receptions as a Sun Devil. 15 of those have gone for 20+ yards (41%) and 9 have gone for 40+ yards (24%).
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123 - The Sun Devils have scored double-digit points in 123 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the FBS and the second-longest streak in the modern era of football behind only Lousiana Tech (125 straight games from 2008-2018).ASU also holds the FBS active streak for consecutive games scoring more than 7 points, currently doing so in 138 straight games. The Sun Devils last scored fewer than 7 points when they were shutout, 28-0, against eighth-ranked USC in the 2008 season. They have scored 30 or more points in 76 of those games (55.1 percent).
30 - ASU has held opponents to 30 or less points in 12 of 17 games in Danny Gonzales' defensive scheme, notable as it DID allow 30+ in 32 of 43 previous games dating back in a span from 2013-17. The Sun Devils are 17th nationally in allowing just 8.0 points per first half this season and have held opponents scoreless in three of those. ASU has allowed just five plays over 30 yards this season, a total tied for 34th nationally. The Sun Devils are one of just 22 teams nationally to not give up a 50-yard play on the year. ASU's run defense has been especially efficient, with just one play over 20 yards allowed
30 - Kobe Williams has been the model of resiliency, starting in 30 consecutive games for the Sun Devils - every game since he arrived on campus in 2017. Williams is the 8th-highest graded defender in the Pac-12 with his 77.1 score from PFF. Williams has been targeted 13 times this season - tied for the 19th-fewest targets among FBS corners that have played at least 50% of snaps. He's been targeted just once ever 8.8 coverage snaps - tied for the 28th-lowest frequency in the FBS and 5th in the Pac-12. Williams has allowed just 40 yards, the second-lowest total in the Pac-12 and sixth among all FBS corners.
29 - All told, 29 true or redshirt freshmen have played for the Sun Devils this year. Overall, ASU has 40 true freshmen on the roster (sixth in the FBS) and 14 redshirt freshmen. The 54 total freshmen equates to 52.4 percent of ASU's roster of 103 - the fourth-highest percentage of a roster in the FBS behind only Oklahoma State (57.1), UCLA (52.8) and Virginia Tech (52.5) The Sun Devils played 25 freshmen in the season opener (15 true, 10 redshirt) - the most ever in the modern era at ASU. That was the third-highest total in the country behind only Clemson (38 - 27/11) and Baylor (35 - 20/15). Arizona State is the only school in the country starting two true freshmen on the offensive line.
10 - The Sun Devils have forced a turnover in 10 consecutive games dating back to last season. ASU is 24th nationally in turnover margin this season (0.75). The Devils have turned over the ball over just three times - the 18th-lowest total in the FBS. ASU has outscored opponents 684-355 in points off takeaways since 2012. Since 2012, ASU has scored 66.6 percent of the time following an opponent turnover (114 of 171) while finding the end zone 85 times (49.7 percent). Conversely, opponents have scored just 50.4 percent of the time following an ASU turnover since 2012 (60 of 119) with 46 touchdowns (38.7 percent).
9 - WR Brandon Aiyuk leads the FBS in yards after the catch with 300 this season. He has helped that cause by forcing nine missed tackles after the catch this year - good for third among FBS receivers. Aiyuk is 8th nationally and 2nd in the Pac-12 with 424 receiving yards on the year At 19.27 yards per reception, Aiyuk is second in the Pac-12 and is 40th nationally in the category and his five plays over 25 yards are 13th nationally.The senior is currently 29th nationally and third in the Pac-12 in all-purpose yards at 129.00 per game.